Family mourns loss of former Denton officer in drowning

Family members of a former Denton police officer were mourning his death Monday while also wondering what led to his body being found Saturday floating in a creek.

BY DARRICK IGNASIAKThe Dispatch

SILVER VALLEY | Family members of a former Denton Police Department lieutenant were mourning his death Monday while also wondering what led to his body being found Saturday floating in a creek on Regan Road.The Davidson County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of 36-year-old Timothy Strickland of Summerville Church Road, Denton. Deputies and paramedics were dispatched to a residence at 2730 Regan Road about 10:15 a.m. Strickland's family members alerted authorities after they found his body in a creek behind a residence where he occasionally stayed. They also had reported him missing Thursday morning after he had been unaccounted for since 12:35 a.m. March 16. Prior to the discovery of the body, deputies interviewed numerous people concerning Strickland's whereabouts, according to a sheriff's office news release.Deputies are investigating the apparent drowning as an accident. The body will be sent to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy, and the toxicology results are expected to be completed and returned in three to four months. The sheriff's office is awaiting the toxicology reports to determine if alcohol or drugs may have been involved.While sheriff's deputies haven't ruled out alcohol or drugs, Strickland's brother, Tracy Strickland, believes there could be foul play involved in the death."I think it's something more suspicious because it's knee-deep water," the brother said.Tracy Strickland explained his brother, who was 6 feet 4 inches tall, was previously trained in underwater rescue while working as a police officer. The creek is about 3 feet, 6 inches deep, and Tracy Strickland is confident his brother could have swum his way out of the water.Timothy Strickland served with the Denton Police Department from November 1999 to September 2006 before he resigned. Denton Police Chief Mark Hicks said he was unsure of the circumstances around Strickland's resignation as he was not chief at the time."It was a shock to me," Hicks said of Strickland's death. "I never suspected it."Tracy Strickland said his brother left the Denton Police Department because he was at odds with its management. As an officer, Timothy Strickland served as a K-9 handler and was trained in underwater cadaver rescue.Strickland was one of 25 people who pleaded guilty in U.S. District Middle Court to involvement in the operation of nine methamphetamine labs in Davidson County that were in operation from 2005 to 2008. He was sentenced in June 2008 to serve two years, four months in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to possess pseudoephedrine.Tracy Strickland doesn't believe drugs were involved in his brother's death. He said he couldn't elaborate any further on why he thinks drugs did not play a factor.Tracy Strickland said his brother parked his Chevrolet Silverado truck in front of a friend's residence during the late-night hours of March 15. The friend woke up the morning of March 16 and couldn't find Timothy Strickland on the property. Tracy Strickland said he called his brother's cell phone and left messages until Tuesday when its battery apparently drained.The brother also surveyed the creek for his brother March 19 and couldn't find him. But Saturday, the Stricklands' mother, Beulah Strickland, and their aunt, Elizabeth Franklin, arrived to find a coat and the body in water."It's rough right now," Tracy Strickland said, as his family accepted friends and family at their residence Monday afternoon.Sheriff David Grice said Davidson County EMS, Davidson County Rescue Squad and Silver Valley Volunteer Fire Department assisted sheriff's deputies at the scene Saturday.Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.